Bangladesh 'won politically, lost in cricket'! Ex-BCB boss blasts T20 World Cup boycot t

Bangladesh faces heat for quitting T20 World Cup [Source: @OneCricketApp, @arnuX05/X.com]

Bangladesh is all but certain to miss the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, with the BCB unwilling to send the team citing security reasons. 

The controversy over this decision has resulted in sharp criticism, and former BCB general secretary Syed Ashraful Haque feels that in the long run, the damage can be severe.

The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to start on February 7, and Bangladesh are adamant on not travelling to India. ICC, however, refused to budge on BCB’s demands, leading to a standoff.

Ex-BCB secretary slams Bangladesh’s boycott decision

Syed Ashraful Haque, meanwhile, believes the BCB mishandled the situation from the very start. According to him, the board blindly followed a government directive instead of acting as an independent cricketing body. 

He said the correct approach would have been to share the ICC’s security plan with the players and let them decide for themselves.

"Very unfortunate that the present board is totally subservient to decision of a government that won't be around after a few weeks, but the damage left behind and possible seclusion from the international cricket community will have far reaching consequences as Bangladesh will be considered as potential trouble monger in cricket circles," Haque told Cricbuzz.

In most cricketing nations, when security concerns arise, boards speak directly to players. They explain the risks and allow individuals to opt out without punishment.

Haque stressed that this was not done in Bangladesh’s case. Instead, players were informed that they would not be travelling at all.

"Any self respecting cricket board would have spread out the ICC security measures to the team and asked the players to take a call, if they felt insecure then by all means don't go, but the call should have been from the players, not from the government or the board. They have deprived the players of their lifetime ambitions of playing a World Cup, just to suit a questionable agenda," he added.

He described this as deeply unfair. For many cricketers, playing in a World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. That dream, he said, has been taken away without their consent. 

"It's left up to the cricketers to decide whether they want to go or not. But here, the government made the call; the players were just called to be told they can't go. Think about a player - his lifetime ambition is to play in the World Cup, the glory of the World Cup and all that. It's completely shattered now."

Haque fears global embarrassment for Bangladesh

Syed Ashraful Haque did not mince words while assessing the wider impact. He said Bangladesh may have taken a political stand, but the cost to cricket is far greater. 

In his view, the country now risks being seen as unreliable by the international cricket community. He pointed out that Bangladesh had signed agreements with the ICC, which clearly state that tournament security is the ICC’s responsibility. 

Pulling out at this stage could invite sanctions or legal trouble. Even if formal punishment does not follow, reputational harm is already done.

"They could, because we've signed an agreement. We signed an agreement with them, and I'm sure there's a clause that security aspects will be overseen by the ICC. I'm sure it's there and we used to do it when I was at the ACC. I haven't seen that specific document yet, but this is bad. Okay, we might have won a political fight with India, but we've lost the war in cricket."

Haque also warned that future host nations and boards may become cautious while dealing with Bangladesh. The perception of being a “troublemaker” could isolate the country over time.

Why Bangladesh boycotted the T20 World Cup?

The BCB’s decision was driven by Bangladesh’s interim government, which refused to grant permission for the team to travel to India due to security concerns. The board stood firm despite the ICC rejecting its request to shift Bangladesh’s matches entirely to Sri Lanka.

An ICC board vote reportedly went 14-2 against Bangladesh, with only Pakistan supporting their stance. The ICC also dismissed claims that the issue was linked to Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL situation, calling it isolated and irrelevant to World Cup security.

With Bangladesh likely to be replaced by Scotland, the fallout is heavy. Players miss out on global exposure, prize money, and participation fees that help the board financially. More importantly, Bangladesh will miss its first T20 World Cup since 2007.